Promised
by Flyingfish40
Summary: Booth reflects on his relationship with Hannah while admiring Brennan.


_Disclaimer: I am in no way talented enough to create two fully formed and interesting characters such as Brennan and Booth. That honour belongs to Hart Hanson and Fox._

 _This story is set in Season 6, sometime after The Blackout in the Blizzard, but before The Hole in the Heart. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Promised**

Booth slowed to a walk as he turned into the park. He squinted against the spring sunshine, shading his eyes as he looked for his partner among the dog walkers, runners and other mid-morning exercisers. Breathing heavily from running hard, he hoped he was in time to catch her.

Then he saw her. She was busy warming up at the park bench just beside the coffee hut, her auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. Lifting a leg, she placed it on the bench and bent down, pulling at her calf.

Booth didn't stretch before exercising, or warm down after. In his considered opinion, both were for girls, or men who couldn't cut it. But that didn't mean he didn't understand the benefits of stretching. One of the primary ones was getting to watch his long-limbed partner doing it.

Finishing – far too soon as far as he was concerned – she stood and and looked around. Her face lit up when she saw him.

He walked over to her, smiling a little. "Hey Bones, ready to take me on?"

She looked him up and down, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Are you ready for me Booth? I believe I've won the last of the three sprints we've run, and I'm catching up to you on the circuits."

"Well, we'll have to reduce my handicap then. Maybe I'm making it a bit too easy for you, huh?" He gave her a playful punch on the arm.

"Hey! I need a handicap against you. You, being male, have a greater body mass, which mainly consists of muscle strength. Plus, males are more streamlined than females."

"I don't know Bones, the female lines have advantages all of their own," he dared to let a look of appreciation cross his face and grinned as she rolled her eyes and started to jog away.

He fell easily into step beside her. He liked the way she ran. She was efficient and light on her feet; her body was agile and toned, just like her mind.

Ever since he had first sought her out the day Jacob Broadsky had resumed the mantle of judge, jury and executioner, running together on the third Wednesday of the month had become a habit. And while on that first day it was only coincidence that she had a day off that was the same as his monthly leave, he was pretty sure that since then she had rearranged her schedule so she could 'bump' into him during his regular run.

She hadn't said anything about their meetings, and neither had he, but he appreciated them being able to spend time together doing something normal, something that didn't involve bodies and murder and fear - something a normal couple might do.

 _Couple._ He turned the word over in his mind as he jogged two steps behind her, watching the way her ponytail swung back and forth.

 _Couple. Were they a couple?_

Not in the biblical sense, that was for sure, but maybe they were working their way towards it. Ever since the debacle with the elevator and the chairs, he knew they were committed, and he hoped she did too.

 _But would she run from it this time?_

Maybe the question he should be asking himself was would _he_ run? He still didn't feel ready. When he told Bones he was angry, that he needed to wait, it was true. He _was_ angry. Although he was quick to reassure her that it wasn't with her. How could he be? Her reaction to his relationship with Hannah had blindsided her, and left her struggling to cope with new feelings.

Her laughter interrupted his train of thought. "Come on Booth. You're lagging. It'll be sprints next."

"I'm saving myself for them Bones,'' a smile played over his features. "Don't want to use up all my energy. I've still got to even up that score."

Her face was flushed, giving her an attractive glow. _Radiant. God she's radiant. How did I get to be so lucky?_

He breathed deeper and lengthened his stride to pull closer to her. Driving his power through his legs, he imagined pushing all the anger and frustration at the last year's wasted emotion with Hannah down into his limbs; imagined leaving great footprints of rage on the path, his body getting lighter as he left the imprints behind.

He knew Hannah wasn't the marrying kind, even before they left Afghanistan. But at the time he felt so wounded, and she was beautiful and smart and strong – just like Bones was. And she was interested, just like Bones said she wasn't. And he felt loved, in a way that Bones had said she couldn't love. So he had ignored the reality of what Hannah was able to offer and had fallen for her, afraid to bear the pain of losing something so similar to what he longed for.

So, it wasn't really Hannah's fault when she told him she wasn't the marrying kind. He already knew.

Still, he reasoned, as he pounded along, she also knew he _was_ the marrying kind. She could have walked earlier. Why she had stayed he didn't know. Maybe she hoped one day she would want to marry him. She had said she thought they would have more time.

Did he rush it? Probably. He realised now Hannah was just a replacement for Bones, except Hannah said she wanted him. Said she loved him. Maybe loved him still. But it wasn't love in the way he wanted to be loved. Not in the "'till death do us part" way.

Maybe in asking Hannah to marry him he wanted to prove that he'd found another standard. But in his heart he knew that the standard is the standard, everything else is just a copy.

Running in tandem now, they turned across the park, heading for the running track. He liked the way they were pounding the path together. Strong and steady, just like their partnership. Bones sped up a little, competitive as always. But he knew he could match her. If she would just let him. If she could just bring herself to swap her protective walls for the protection of his arms, he knew they could be good together.

 _No, better than good. Perfect._

"Ok Booth, get ready to time me," she said, slowing her pace as they reached the track.

He stopped and hunkered down, setting his watch. "All right. On your marks, get set - Hey!" Bones had jumped the start - again.

Laughing, she looked behind before picking up speed. "Catch me if you can, Booth! Catch me if you can!"

Shaking his head and smiling, he broke into a sprint, wondering if he ever would.

* * *

 **Three months later**

Booth slowed to a walk as he turned into the park. He squinted against the spring sunshine, shading his eyes as he looked for his partner among the dog walkers, runners and other mid-morning exercisers. Relaxing a little in the warmth, his eyes scanned the park.

Then he saw her. She was busy warming up at the park bench just beside the coffee hut, her auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. Lifting a leg, she placed it on the bench and bent down, pulling at her calf. Booth admired the view.

Finishing, she stood, but he noted that she didn't look around. If fact, she never looked around anymore. But then, he never rushed anymore. Rationally and emotionally, they both knew there was no need. Because now, he knew she would wait for him, and she knew he would come. Grinning, he walked over to her.

* * *

 _Hi guys, this was a bit of an antidote to my other more angsty fanfic. Please let me know what you thought of my take on Booth's thoughts around his feelings for Brennan and Hannah. Hope you enjoyed it!_

 _Thanks, FF40_


End file.
